New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-12
GENERAL BERDAN ON PENSIONS.
HIS PLAN A STRICT CLASSIFICATION.
REWARD. FIRST. TIE MEN WITH FIGHTING
REcoRDs," BUr no HOSPITAL RECORDS" WHO
NOW DIsADIED.

RECORD" BUT no HOSPITAL RECORDS WHO
ARE NOW DISABLED.
WASHINGTON Sept 1O.The pension question bids fair
70 he one of the knoest OF those with which the com
Inc CONGRESS will have grappe II touches the hearts
OF the North and West AM the pockets OF every section
Right and Justice aud sentiment AMI expedency mix ana
mgle in its consideration. The officers OF the Grand
Army organization have drafted a bill pensoniDg all
who served three months or more THIS VIII DC pre-
sened at the next session of Congress and the lght OF
last winter will be repeated.
Every loyal voter wants to see the rlsht men pen
stoned II a. more than fair that those VINO ua anu
dared for the country AMI are now disabled shouu NC
kent from want How get ut the right men ana not
waste the Governments money on frauds Is Il question
OF methods which the disagreement begins had an
Interesting talk today with General Bcrian OF sharp
shootiug fame who has some decidedly clear ana posi-
tive IDEAS on that subject The General led his regiment
OF quick eyed bravchelred rllemcn through more than
half hundred pitched battles and skirnshes ana us
interest IN the welfare Of those who survive never ags
From this cause alone he a been lei to study the pen
sion problem for Is not in politics AMI has no private
interests In tie matter.
.Y,s" said the General In response to inquiries
have been giving this liter much thought OF ae aN
in, II over with my army lainances from General
sheridan down. and carrying on somcwhM OF coFre-
spondenee with the Pension Office on the subject was
awakened to the fact thar injustice was being done wheh
tie wreck OF what once the strongest man IN my
regiment was brought into my house last spring heip
lcss rheumatism. This man, SchcreF reNi"hpc'
we'll He was in the front rank OF Company \. Ie
never inche or waveIed under lire pr Jagged upon the
march when the halted an others sat down III
the roai he leaned upon hts gun lie has clean recotd
of thirty engagements and never cit tie r1nHS '
day Daring the last year o. his enlistment MS knees
troubled him. hut he never onpainet soon atcr Doing
mustered ont his rheumatism totally disable him. Now
he ia utterly destitute and wreck OF hs former sell
Alter long CORE sp,nlence with the Pension ONCE AMI
careful reading OF existing laws that there Is no
possibility OF bi, getting pension under thcn.
The keynote then 10 any further pension legislation
should be this That tho Government sha be JUST Oe-
for. II 4. generous lust 10 me ike schcrer before IL IS
generous to three months men, This Is due equally TO
the soldier anl to the taxpayer Tic question o. gen
cro.lty Of giving every mla who fought pension IS
reward OF merit AMI continuing the same To his widow
AMI orphans il that cannot be settled without pro
ongcd discussion The cashing sentiments ana IDEAS Oh
the people OF tho Themselves rs brought ont by
their reptile, Tug rgnUSE circular renler Its speedy
settlement impossible. My point Is this;
While struggling on from session 20 session and veto
t. veto. with bills whose provisions aro aweepinS AMI
generous don't let small cns- OF the most deserving
and disabled OF the Unions sIviors 1--we IN poverty AM
die OF neglect Don't inciuI, la bill the el1ims OF
those wnom every wants 10 see pen5oue ana those
OF men whose clan meot bitter opposition In GER
tain quarters lest all be denicl refer to those men
VINO fought brsycy throughout the war; who were In
the front rank at every battle AMI VINO answered. nc
bravery we're never wounded aud with the dog sed en-
durarce OF true soldiers never gave mp AMI went to the
hospital bat who today uttey helpless from causes
directly traceabr to the strain Of those terrible battles
and forced marches, The exposure OF the mountain
blyouae audthe disease, slowly developing in after lilo
,run seeds sDwn In Southern swamps For these tho
prrsen, pension laws aGorI help and the Omnibus
bills which meet with such determined opposition prom
ise tariy relief Tho present laws put premium on
good hospital records aud give lt, weight to good fight
ing records Tho who broke down after his fret
forced march gh the fever in his hrs night on the
battle Held and stayed In the hospital or on light duty
during the rest OF his enlistment. gets pension The
man whose heart AMI strOrg constitution kept him
I'm the ranks In spite the terrible fatigue OF the forced
/ march aud the llssituic Of fever. gets nothing.
/ Mind. not decrying the merits or deserts OF
those OF willing usefulness WAS cut short by
rebel bullets Southern eycrs or the collapse OF feeble
constitution They earned every cent they draw rom
Uncle Sans Golfers But the mcnwho are now equally
or more utterly helpless, who we've equally willing and
who were twenty times useful To totteriug Gov
crnent certainly in Justice entitled to all the others
receive In charity from that Government think no
In Congress or the White House VIII question that
Then the obvious thing be done to set these
In class by themselves and put the simple question
before the country Shall they be pensoned or shall they
die OF neglect Winnow them out from the vast host OF
would be pensioners, and have matters which are with
them questions OF undsputed night rs well as OF seni
ment and expedcncy pat "A fair trial and settlement
let their poor old rheumatic bones and pased nerves
sores harrow the feelings Of Congress and secure
the passage OF general pension bills plead for them
| vain The class viii he small one Ten or fifteen
thousand tho outside estimate g!von informally by
the Pension Office. That bureau OF course, give no
accurate and official report until ordered TO do so by
proper authority. II the TRIBUNE would repeat Its
the Grand Army Posts or In any other way
encourage them 10 send In the Sures tho statistics could
be gathered In short order.
My solution then, OF the called pension problem.
s Classify classify. and always classify Then, when
lines sharply and clearly drawn let each class
stand fall on its merits, independent OF ts more
lcss meritorious fellows The frat class would have
consist. IA have indicated In my correspondence with
the Office. OF who took no bounty, served honoray
for years without promotion, and are now disabled
from disease which could have resulted from that ser
vice, though they kept out OF the army hospitals.
second hill should provide for pensOnng all threeyear
who have reached certain age. y third might In
clnde the three month men. and there might be still u
fourth provide for all who dependent on the
soldiers ami left destitute. All these may he dis.
they should not be interviewer that all must stand
fall together.
For The immediate relief OF the first class Will
ing Ia exert myself 10 the utmost My heart sw0ls at
tho sigh: OF the impoverished, broken wrecks or men
whom remember the first TO follow to the battle
field and the last to leave It. Must they drag along in
misery till Congress and the Executive be convinced
OF tho necessity OF ponsioning AS well every man who
marched out behind "A band To chase Lee up and down
the Pennsylvania valleys for three months and then
went back To his business I
"The officers OF the Pension Bureau and veteran
from General Sheridan dow 10 whom have submitted
erpediency These. them my notices: Pensions for
those who fought well for those VINO fanted re-
ward service IN the field aswe service the hospital